First time Supplement User

huzaifamf

New member
Hi everyone,

I'm a first time user of supplements. I've been working out with no supplements for over a year, but have plateaued. Also, I have some 'breast fat' that I'm trying to get rid of so I did some research and found DAA Max Testosterone booster.

I believe this is a 'post cycle treatment'. Although it says it will increase testosterone and help me shatter my plateau, do I still need an 'estrogen inhibitor' after my 4 week cycle of DAA Max?

Any recommendations from the experienced folks on a beginner wanting to get shredded?

Thank you all in advance
 
DAA Max, if I'm looking at right one, is just DAA. You would not need an AI.

DAA is really hit or miss. If you feel you have hit a plateue, adding a daily ergogenic like Powermax XT would be helpful. It contains Creatine, Betaine, L-Alanyl L-Glutamine, COP, Amentoflavone, Taurine, Glycerol and Electrolytes. These ingredients will help improve Strength, Recovery, Endurance while also providing pump and Hydration.

Since you mentioned test booster and estrogen control, have you looked at Alphamax XT? It's an all in one product that contains proven doses of ingredients that help free up test, lower stress, control estrogen and cortisol, etc. The F95 and DHAA will also help reduce fat and promote lean mass with proper diet and training.
 
Thanks cubsfan...so If I'm taking 2 pills of DAA daily for 4 weeks, and I decide to take PowerMax XT, would I just take both products at the same time, or would I take Powermax after the 4 week DAA cycle? Same question goes for AlphaMax...would I take it after the DAA, or during the cycle?
 
I'd look into just even a basic creatine, protein powder, maybe a preworkout (even if its just some coffee or caffeine pills) as well. Those are so basic.
 
You can run Powermax XT with either. It's a convenient way to get a bunch of daily ergogenics, without having to mix up a ton of bulk powders.

You can also run Alphamax XT with Powermax XT. You can actually run all 3 together, I'm just not a fan of DAA. You will see much better results from a comprehensive product like Alphamax XT. Since you already have it though, no harm in running it.
 
thank you gentlemen...Here's what I'll do..I'll run DAA and see if it gives me the results I was hoping for..I'm going to order AlphaMax XT as well and run it post 4-week DAA cycle as well to see the difference between the two. I'm assuming there's no need for a PCT after running Alphamax or PowerMax....thanks again!
 
I know I'm coming in to crap all over the party but a supplement is most likely not going to help you break your plateau. I would start by taking a look at your diet first. How much do you weigh and how many grams of protein are you consuming? Are your goals to gain muscle or lose fat right now? Are you doing a total body or split routine? If I had to recommend a supplement that might be most beneficial I'd recommend creatine mono, but there are too many reasons why you may have plateaued.
 
I'm 5'8, 168 lbs. I don't count my nutritional intake at all...I do split routine.

My nutrition isn't the best, but I definitely need some guidance in this area..>I'm thinking about getting a fitness coach to create a plan for me (recommendations in this department are welcome). All I do is try to eat healthy when I can, and workout 3-4 times per week...I have no set routine either
 
210LBS said:
I know I'm coming in to crap all over the party but a supplement is most likely not going to help you break your plateau. I would start by taking a look at your diet first. How much do you weigh and how many grams of protein are you consuming? Are your goals to gain muscle or lose fat right now? Are you doing a total body or split routine? If I had to recommend a supplement that might be most beneficial I'd recommend creatine mono, but there are too many reasons why you may have plateaued.
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This too, what is your training routine?
 
If it is your first round of supps, keep it to the easy stuff. Creatine, BA, protein fish oil. Start with the basics.
 
huzaifamf said:
I'm 5'8, 168 lbs. I don't count my nutritional intake at all...I do split routine.

My nutrition isn't the best, but I definitely need some guidance in this area..>I'm thinking about getting a fitness coach to create a plan for me (recommendations in this department are welcome). All I do is try to eat healthy when I can, and workout 3-4 times per week...I have no set routine either
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I don't want to come off as sounding cruel or anything but before you even decide on a supplement you really need to get your nutrition and training in order. As far as nutrition, you really want to have an idea about your macros. Protein, protein, protein. You'd be surprised how many people go into weight training consuming 50 grams of protein per day. Bump it up to 200 grams and it's night and day. I'm a firm believer that muscles grow in the kitchen.
As far as your training is concerned you need a set routine. It's important that you know what you're doing and even more important to make sure you're consistent.
 
Start simple man. Creatine, multi, fish oil, and some protein powder.

SNS offers some great prices on creatine mono
 
huzaifamf said:
I'm 5'8, 168 lbs. I don't count my nutritional intake at all...I do split routine.

My nutrition isn't the best, but I definitely need some guidance in this area..>I'm thinking about getting a fitness coach to create a plan for me (recommendations in this department are welcome). All I do is try to eat healthy when I can, and workout 3-4 times per week...I have no set routine either
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Get someone to set you up with a solid routine. If you dont have one set up, how can you expect to progress? Most people i see with this approach look exactly the same year after year.
I plan all my routines around a 12 week cycle, but I absolutely hate bodybuilder splits with a passion.

Then look into developing some kind of set nutrition goal. Tons of info on these boards for that kinda stuff.

Lastly look into supps. Seriously. Without a routine and diet set up you'll still end up spinning your wheels, but on top of that you'll also have a lighter wallet.

Start basic. Creatine, Betaine, potentially a decent pre workout and work from there. I'm not a believer in multis or fish oil pills, but would rather eat more fatty fish and veges so those two are optional.

Start some threads in the nutrition and training forums to get more feedback as well.
 
What everyone else said..creatine, fish oil, whey. If you've only been hitting it for a year that plateau should be easy to break with some variances to your training and diet.

DAA only helped me when I was constipated.
 
210LBS said:
I don't want to come off as sounding cruel or anything but before you even decide on a supplement you really need to get your nutrition and training in order. As far as nutrition, you really want to have an idea about your macros. Protein, protein, protein. You'd be surprised how many people go into weight training consuming 50 grams of protein per day. Bump it up to 200 grams and it's night and day. I'm a firm believer that muscles grow in the kitchen.
As far as your training is concerned you need a set routine. It's important that you know what you're doing and even more important to make sure you're consistent.
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Jiigzz said:
Get someone to set you up with a solid routine. If you dont have one set up, how can you expect to progress? Most people i see with this approach look exactly the same year after year.
I plan all my routines around a 12 week cycle, but I absolutely hate bodybuilder splits with a passion.

Then look into developing some kind of set nutrition goal. Tons of info on these boards for that kinda stuff.

Lastly look into supps. Seriously. Without a routine and diet set up you'll still end up spinning your wheels, but on top of that you'll also have a lighter wallet.

Start basic. Creatine, Betaine, potentially a decent pre workout and work from there. I'm not a believer in multis or fish oil pills, but would rather eat more fatty fish and veges so those two are optional.

Start some threads in the nutrition and training forums to get more feedback as well.
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Best advice you're going to get OP. Diet and training are the most important step, then supplements. Like others said, stick with the basics, although like Jiigzz said, I wouldn't even bother with fishoil.
 
huzaifamf said:
I'm assuming there's no need for a PCT after running Alphamax or PowerMax....thanks again!
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Neither of these require a PCT. Alphamax XT is a natural product to help increase natural test levels and limit cortisol and estrogen. Powermax is a daily ergogenic product that will cover your staple supps, so no PCT is required for either.

After reading through this thread though, I would agree with the others here. I would read up in the Training section and structure a solid training program first. Also dial in your diet, educate yourself and learn what macronutrient numbers your body requires to recover properly and perform in the gym. Diet and training are first in line of things that can help you. Supplements can be helpful, but the hard work and proper nutrition are the foundation.
 
AlphaMax XT alone or even with Anabeta Elite. That gives you a really nice dose of forskolin to get a little leaner and both are amazing products
 
Diet and training always come first. Make sure that's on point before venturing out into supplements. Supplements won't make gains for you.
 
The more supplements I do the more I think the supplement industry is total bullsh*t. Whey protein and creatine is about all you need. There is research that says daa does amazing thibgs and there's equal research that says it does nothing. The supplement industry is a multi billion dollar industry and they make all kinds of claims but let's get the ratio of a perfect physic correct. It's 30% training, 30% nutrition, 30% sleep/recovery, and then maybe 10% supplementation. You can have a great physic without anything.

I just really think its wrong that we put such an emphasis on these supplements when they're total crap.
 
Rndmher said:
The more supplements I do the more I think the supplement industry is total bullsh*t. Whey protein and creatine is about all you need. There is research that says daa does amazing thibgs and there's equal research that says it does nothing. The supplement industry is a multi billion dollar industry and they make all kinds of claims but let's get the ratio of a perfect physic correct. It's 30% training, 30% nutrition, 30% sleep/recovery, and then maybe 10% supplementation. You can have a great physic without anything.

I just really think its wrong that we put such an emphasis on these supplements when they're total crap.
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I agree, although I think supplements account for less than 10% and nutrition accounts for more than 30%. Supplements should be there to supplement your diet, but unfortunately there is much more money to be made by pushing unnecessary stuff that doesn't work. I remember reading about Arnold Schwarzenegger's post workout shake which was mostly just milk and ice cream. They didn't have the supplements we have today and they seemed to do just fine.
 
Rndmher said:
The more supplements I do the more I think the supplement industry is total bullsh*t. Whey protein and creatine is about all you need. There is research that says daa does amazing thibgs and there's equal research that says it does nothing. The supplement industry is a multi billion dollar industry and they make all kinds of claims but let's get the ratio of a perfect physic correct. It's 30% training, 30% nutrition, 30% sleep/recovery, and then maybe 10% supplementation. You can have a great physic without anything.

I just really think its wrong that we put such an emphasis on these supplements when they're total crap.
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I agree to an extent. I think advertising combined with unreal expectations from users make the supplement industry look bad. With the way our society functions now, looking for a quick fix, the supplement industry will also increase. The industry is a two way road; advertising can show expectations that may not occur and people believe some of the outrageous claims. AT some point, people need to educate themselves, and this goes for any product type, not just supplements.

On the other hand, there are valuable supplements and ingredients out there, backed with science. This includes, but is not limited to creatine, TMG, ashwagandha, F95, etc. Again, despite these being effective, people still have unreal expectations of these studied ingredients and supplements.
 
210LBS said:
I agree, although I think supplements account for less than 10% and nutrition accounts for more than 30%. Supplements should be there to supplement your diet, but unfortunately there is much more money to be made by pushing unnecessary stuff that doesn't work. I remember reading about Arnold Schwarzenegger's post workout shake which was mostly just milk and ice cream. They didn't have the supplements we have today and they seemed to do just fine.
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I agree with that but those guys were most certainly on steroids. Which I don't really look down upon. Steroids have their place in our sport. Supplements are over hyped and I honestly feel like op is smarter then all of us for not buying the garbage I did for the first two-three years of lifting.
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Rndmher said:
I agree with that but those guys were most certainly on steroids. Which I don't really look down upon. Steroids have their place in our sport. Supplements are over hyped and I honestly feel like op is smarter then all of us for not buying the garbage I did for the first two-three years of lifting.
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Yes that's true. But let's be realistic. Steroids aside, they wouldn't have looked much different without the supplements that we have today. As a matter of fact, although they did use steroids, they mostly only used them for 1 cycle before a competition which was used under the supervision of a doctor. I'm not defending their steroid use, I'm just saying it wasn't as abusive back then as some people think. Anyway, my point is that many bodybuilders have gotten by just fine without supplements.
 
210LBS said:
Yes that's true. But let's be realistic. Steroids aside, they wouldn't have looked much different without the supplements that we have today. As a matter of fact, although they did use steroids, they mostly only used them for 1 cycle before a competition which was used under the supervision of a doctor. I'm not defending their steroid use, I'm just saying it wasn't as abusive back then as some people think. Anyway, my point is that many bodybuilders have gotten by just fine without supplements.
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What?! Steroids are amazing? I think it's ridiculous the way our (American) society looks at steroids. Steroids just help you get bigger if your already doing amazing things. The guys on steroids are the ones who work out hardest in the gym. Take steroids and sit in the couch and see what kind of results you get. Steroids aren't cheating and those guys back in the day didn't do one cycle they were constantly on roids. I don't think there's anything wrong with that and no real health risk associated with prolonged responsible steroid use. One thing those guys didn't talk about from the glory days of "pumping iron" era was supplements. Eat good, lift hard, and sleep like a baby. Don't concern yourself with bsn came out with a rapid asorbation protein or pro sups has a new pre workout. It's all a money grab that's highly unproven and unregulated, and I encourage anyone that disagrees with me to prove I'm incorrect.
 
Rndmher said:
What?! Steroids are amazing? I think it's ridiculous the way our (American) society looks at steroids. Steroids just help you get bigger if your already doing amazing things. The guys on steroids are the ones who work out hardest in the gym. Take steroids and sit in the couch and see what kind of results you get. Steroids aren't cheating and those guys back in the day didn't do one cycle they were constantly on roids. I don't think there's anything wrong with that and no real health risk associated with prolonged responsible steroid use. One thing those guys didn't talk about from the glory days of "pumping iron" era was supplements. Eat good, lift hard, and sleep like a baby. Don't concern yourself with bsn came out with a rapid asorbation protein or pro sups has a new pre workout. It's all a money grab that's highly unproven and unregulated, and I encourage anyone that disagrees with me to prove I'm incorrect.
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I don't know if I agree that those guys were constantly on steroids. Lou Ferrigno left the game because everyone was doing steroids and he didn't want to (although he of course admitted to trying steroids). And Arnold used steroids but I believe he was the one who claimed to use them like 6 weeks before a show. I can't confirm any of this because I don't know any bodybuilders from the era personally, this is just from interviews I've seen. But supposedly bodybuilders back then we're very open about their steroid use as nobody thought of it as a big deal.
 
I'm not trying to minimize what any of those guys back then did. They're gods among men, genetic freaks. And they are the example of how to do your bodybuilding life. It's true that back then they used smaller doses and usually only did a few months over the year as compared to their contemporary peer who abuse steroids for a majority of the year and in much larger doses. But again no dose of steroids is gonna take a person who isn't trying their hardest to a demigod, and that's just the way it is. That's why I don't think steroids are cheating. But I digress, the forum is supplements and 98% of the supplement industry I'd total bs; end of rant.
 
Rndmher said:
I'm not trying to minimize what any of those guys back then did. They're gods among men, genetic freaks. And they are the example of how to do your bodybuilding life. It's true that back then they used smaller doses and usually only did a few months over the year as compared to their contemporary peer who abuse steroids for a majority of the year and in much larger doses. But again no dose of steroids is gonna take a person who isn't trying their hardest to a demigod, and that's just the way it is. That's why I don't think steroids are cheating. But I digress, the forum is supplements and 98% of the supplement industry I'd total bs; end of rant.
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Haha I agree with that... maybe 99% though.
 
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